The Rise, Fall, and Survival of ISIS

With the devastating April bombings in Sri Lanka and the reappearance of its supposedly dead leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, it’s clear that ISIS is back as a long-term threat. A timeline reveals a uniquely adaptive group, now in its third incarnation.

2014 | ISIS builds a terror state

The group takes Raqqa, Syria, and Mosul, Iraq, giving it control of approximately 34,000 square miles and a $2 billion economy.

But in August, the US starts airstrikes to defend Yazidis and roll back ISIS.

2015-2017 | Crumbling state, attacks worldwide

As ISIS comes under military pressure, it uses its territory as a source of prestige to recruit affiliates who attack worldwide, including:

Hypercacher supermarket in Paris

San Bernadino, California

Istanbul, Turkey

Jakarta, Indonesia

Brussels, Belgium

Moscow, London, & Barcelona

Manhattan

Dhaka, Bangladesh

Chechnya

2017-2019 | No territory, still worldwide threat

2017

June  – Baghdadi declared killed by Russians

July – Mosul is retaken by Iraqi forces

Oct – Raqqa taken from ISIS by moderate rebel group SDF